The 2024 F1 season has already proven to be one to remember, with the 14 races so far featuring thrilling duels, stunning qualifying laps and memorable victories, taken by a total of seven different race winners.
This has also brought with it a sizeable amount of drama, ranging from intra-team spats and first-lap collisions through to tense fights for the lead and a particularly surprising win.
Join us as we take a look back at some of the most dramatic moments to unfold during the first half of the campaign…
Bearman fights through to P7 during surprise debut
At only the second race of the year in Saudi Arabia, there was an unexpected driver change at Ferrari when Carlos Sainz fell ill with appendicitis. While the Spaniard underwent surgery following his diagnosis on Friday, the team called upon F2 driver Oliver Bearman to step in ready for FP3 later that day.
Despite the short notice, Bearman went on to impress in qualifying – missing out on Q3 by just 0.036s – before putting in an eye-catching drive in Saturday’s Grand Prix. The teenager pulled off a series of overtakes from P11 on the grid to end the race in P7, handing him points upon his debut as well as putting him firmly on the radar for a seat on the 2025 grid with Haas.